CHAPTER 39: CH 39: CANNOT IGNORE - PART 2

Irielle stood tall, her stance protective and dangerous, with one arm pressing Kana gently behind her.

Her eyes narrowed, glowing faintly with magic barely held in check.

"She’s mine. So if you’re here to make trouble, turn around and walk out before I make you."

Irielle said coldly.

The red-haired woman across the room didn’t flinch. In fact, she smiled wider.

Her white robes shimmered faintly in the light, marked with silver embroidery—symbols of the Temple of Beginnings. The air around her was thick with power, ancient and calm.

"My, my. Possessive, aren’t we? Relax, Irielle. I’m not here to steal her forever. I simply need Kana for a short while. That’s all"

She said, her tone teasing.

Her gaze flicked toward Kana, sharp and calculating, though her smile remained pleasant.

"A favor, really. One she’s already agreed to in spirit."

Irielle’s jaw tightened.

"I don’t care if the gods themselves requested it. She’s not going anywhere with you."

The red-haired woman gave a graceful bow.

"I’m high Priestess Jenna, from the Temple of Beginnings. You must’ve heard of me."

"I don’t care. Out. Now."

Irielle snapped.

The tension in the room spiked as the two powerful women stared each other down, magic humming faintly between them.

Irielle was ready to draw her blade again if necessary, and Jenna—though still smiling—seemed completely unbothered by the threat.

Then the door slammed open again, and more figures filed into the room.

"Great. Exactly what I needed today. A divine brawl in my living room."

Lysera muttered from the doorway, her voice flat.

Evaya, the priestess-in-training, hurried in after her and ran to Jenna’s side, bowing deeply.

"Please, High Priestess, we’re not supposed to cause conflict. We were told to remain respectful of the guardians..."

She whispered urgently,

"I am being respectful. I haven’t broken anything yet."

Jenna said with a raised brow.

Lysera’s glare shifted to Irielle.

"You. Calm down."

"I am calm."

Irielle replied stiffly.

"You’re vibrating. Kana’s going to faint from secondhand tension."

Lysera deadpanned.

As if on cue, everyone turned toward Kana—still half-hidden behind Irielle, eyes wide with panic.

She gave a helpless little wave.

"I... I think I’ll just sit here. Don’t mind me."

She said quietly, lowering herself to the couch like someone trying not to trigger an explosion.

Jenna let out a quiet chuckle.

"Ah, she’s even cuter in person."

"Don’t look at her like that."

Irielle snapped, practically sparking now.

"Please! This isn’t how the Temple intended things to go. We’re simply here to guide Kana toward her path—gently!"

Evaya cried, stepping between them.

Lysera sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Someone get me a drink. A strong one."

Kana, the unwitting center of the chaos, watched as two powerful women stood ready to rip each other apart over her—while a third tried to mediate the disaster, and the fourth just wanted to survive her own headache.

’This is fine.’

Kana thought, hugging a throw pillow tightly to her chest.

’Totally fine.’

Evaya’s voice trembled slightly as she stood between the two powerhouses in the room.

"High Priestess, please—this isn’t the place to be making a scene. We’re the ones who submitted the request. We’re the ones who needed help. If this falls apart, everything could collapse..."

Jenna blinked, tilting her head.

"Desperate, are we? Well, if you say so, little Evaya..."

She said, as if tasting the word. Then she gave a long, exaggerated sigh and slumped theatrically.

Before the priestess-in-training could react, Jenna reached out and pulled her into a snug embrace, resting her chin on Evaya’s shoulder.

"I’ll behave, but only if you let me hold you for a little while."

She murmured,

Evaya didn’t even flinch. She simply sighed, cheeks pink, and muttered.

"Yes, High Priestess."

Kana stared at the scene, slack-jawed. Evaya, for her part, sat on Jenna’s lap like it was a regular Tuesday occurrence.

There was even a small sigh of resignation as Jenna rubbed her cheek against Evaya’s like a cat marking its territory.

"...She’s just a pervert. That’s all this is. No need to panic."

Kana muttered under her breath, finally piecing it together.

And yet, despite that conclusion, her face burned as the memory of that earlier kiss returned, uninvited.

Desperate to escape the sudden heat rising in her cheeks, Kana scrambled to her feet.

"I-I’ll go make some tea!"

She announced, rushing out of the room.

Once she returned, tray in hand, she was greeted by four pairs of eyes watching her—two neutral, one amused, and one unmistakably predatory.

"Sit."

Lysera said firmly, gesturing to the space between her and Irielle on the couch.

Kana nodded quickly and made her way there, but before she could sit, Jenna’s voice drifted in like silk.

"Come sit beside me, sweet Kana. There’s plenty of room on this side."

Kana froze.

"No."

Lysera and Irielle said in unison.

Without a second of hesitation, they each grabbed one of Kana’s arms and pulled her down between them. Safe. Contained. Fortified.

"I think you’ve had enough girls on your lap today."

Lysera said dryly.

Jenna only laughed.

"You’re all so possessive."

"Just get to the point. Why are you really here?"

Irielle muttered.

Jenna’s teasing smile didn’t waver—at first. But after a moment, her expression shifted. The humor drained from her face, and a calm, weighty seriousness replaced it.

She looked to Kana, then at the others.

"Strange things have been happening around the Grand Temple lately. Unidentified movements. Flickers of power that don’t match any known spirit. The wards have been disturbed. Something—or someone—is watching us. And we can’t trace it."

She said softly. No one interrupted.

Jenna continued, her voice low and even.

"We need someone who doesn’t belong to any order. Someone no one would expect. Someone who can defend themselves if things go wrong."

Her eyes locked on Kana.

"Kana is perfect for this."

Irielle leaned forward, her tone sharp.

"There are dozens—no, hundreds of people who fit that description better than Kana. She didn’t even know how to defend herself properly until recently. Why does it have to be her?"

Jenna gave her a light smile, but her eyes were unreadable.

"Because this is what the stars have shown me."

"That’s not an answer."

Irielle snapped.

The high priestess tilted her head.

"It’s the only answer I need."

She stroked Evaya’s hair absently as she continued.

"I prayed to the goddess. I followed the signs. And when I asked who could walk the path hidden from our eyes, the stars showed me one face. Hers."

Her fingers pointed delicately toward Kana.

Silence fell over the room like a weighted blanket.

Even Irielle had no words.

Because no matter how much they wanted to argue, none of them could. No one argued against the will of the stars. And certainly not against the will of the goddess.

Kana sat frozen between Lysera and Irielle, wide-eyed and confused.

Lysera exhaled slowly, her expression grim.

"That’s... not something we can ignore."

The high priestess nodded.

"I don’t enjoy forcing anyone’s hand, but I don’t make these decisions lightly. I only go where the goddess points."

She offered Kana a small smile.

"It just so happens that, this time, she pointed to you."